Trojans To Host IPFW in Second Weekend

Games 4-7: Little Rock vs. IPFW
Feb. 26-28
Little Rock, Ark. • Gary Hogan Field
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LITTLE ROCK – After a successful first weekend, Little Rock baseball (2-1) will host IPFW (3-1) in a four-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m., at Gary Hogan Field.
 
FIRST PITCH

• Little Rock's offense ranked fifth among Sun Belt schools in the opening weekend of competition.
• The Trojans were walked 15 times in three games, the most in the Sun Belt.
• As of Thursday, Little Rock is one of seven Division I teams to have not recorded an error.
• Hunter Owens tied the program record for hits in a single game with five against Indiana State.
• Owens, Dalton Thomas and Ryan Scott have top 15 hitting percentages in the Sun Belt.
• Little Rock was one of three Sun Belt teams to have not allowed a home run this season.
• Nik Gifford had the third-most putouts in the league with 31 in opening weekend action.
• The Trojans bring in 27 newcomers for the 2016 season with seven returnees.
• 16 of the newcomers previously played at junior colleges.
• A win on Friday would give Little Rock its first three-game winning streak since sweeping Appalachian State last year.
• A sweep of the weekend would be the first time since 2005 that Little Rock has won all games in a four-game series.
• Cory Malcom, Will Hazen, Cody Daylor and a pitcher to be named will get starts for Little Rock this weekend.
• Little Rock holds a 6-1 series lead against IPFW.

 
SCOUTING IPFW
IPFW was voted as the second-best team in The Summit League behind Oral Roberts. So far, the Mastadons are 3-1 for the year after winning their first three games and dropping the series finale against Alabama A&M.
 
IPFW is led on offense by junior infielder Jackson Boyce. Boyce went 7 for 17 in the season-opening series with two home runs, five RBIs, four runs, two stolen bases and a double.
 
Getting the Friday start for IPFW is right-hander Evan Miller, who gave up five runs on four hits in 4.2 innings last Friday. On Saturday, lefty Mitchell Ley and right-hander Trevor Storie will get the start for Saturday's doubleheader. Ley gave up gave three runs on seven hits in five innings while Storie earned a win with eight strikeouts while giving up four walks, a run and four hits. Left-hander Damian Helm will start the series finale on Sunday after allowing six runs, four walks and four hits in just three innings against Alabama A&M.
 
SERIES AGAINST THE MASTADONS
Little Rock holds a 6-1 series lead against IPFW with the only loss occurring in 2011. The Trojans last win against the Mastadons was in 2014 as the Trojans earned a 3-1 win at home.
 
ON THE MOUND FOR LITTLE ROCK
Junior right-hander Cory Malcom will make his 2016 debut on Friday. Malcom finished last year with a 5-4 record and a team-leading 3.61 ERA with 62 strikeouts and only 23 walks in 84.2 innings. On Saturday, lefty Will Hazen and right-hander Cody Daylor will take the mound. Hazen earned his first win in a Trojan uniform in his Little Rock debut last Saturday against Kansas. Daylor pitched three innings of relief in the Trojans' season opener against Indiana State as he struck out two and allowed just one run, a walk and four hits. Sunday's starter will be named later depending on how the weekend treats the Trojans.
                                                                                                                                      
OWENS' IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Little Rock newcomer Hunter Owens made an impressive Division I debut as he ended the opening weekend tied for the second-best batting average in the league at .615 and had a league-tying eight hits and three doubles. Even more impressive was his 5 for 5 day against Indiana State in just his third Division I game as he earned two doubles, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Owens hit total tied a program record as he became just the 13th player in Little Rock history to record five hits in a single game. In his Trojan debut, Owens went 2 for 3 with a run and a double against Indiana State. He also had the second-most total bases with 11.
 
Owens' three doubles rank 20th in the nation and his average of one double per game ranks 10th nationally. His eight hits rank 27th in the country and his .615 average ranks 28th.
 
EARLY SUCCESS AT THE PLATE
Little Rock's offense was the fifth best in the Sun Belt in opening weekend action as the Trojans hit .269 at the plate. Hunter Owens, Dalton Thomas and Ryan Scott each ranked among the top 15 averages in the Sun Belt with .615, .444 and .400, respectively.
 
Little Rock had the fourth-best on-base percentage (.387), fifth-best slugging percentage (.355) and fifth-most doubles (5) in the Sun Belt.
 
DISCIPLINE AT THE PLATE
Little Rock walked 15 times in its first three games of 2016. That's 10 percent of all the walks the Trojans had last year (151) in just the opening weekend.
 
PERFECT FIELDING
As of Thursday, Little Rock is one of seven schools in Division I that has yet to record an error this season.
 
Junior Nik Gifford had the third-most putouts in the Sun Belt for the weekend with 31 on 32 chances.
 
NO LONG BALL FOR YOU
Little Rock is one of three Sun Belt schools (Georgia State and Louisiana) to not allow a home run yet.
 
TURNING DOUBLE PLAYS
The Trojans turned three double plays in their first three games, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt. At 1.00 double play per game, Little Rock is tied for 52nd nationally.
 
WHIP IT
Newcomer Dylan Slayton was dominant in his first dose of action out of the Trojans' bullpen on Sunday against Indiana State. In four innings on the hill, Slayton allowed just one hit and no walks. His WHIP of 0.25 is tied for 11th in the nation.
 
A WIN AGAINST IPFW WOULD…
…give Little Rock its first three-game win streak since sweeping Appalachian State at home last season and would improve the Trojans to 3-1. The Trojans' three-game streak was the longest of the 2015 season.
 
Three straight wins would give Little Rock its first five-game winning streak since the beginning of the 2014 season that saw the Trojans start off with a 5-0 record.
 
A sweep of the weekend series would give Little Rock a six-game winning streak, the first since 2012. The last time Little Rock swept a four-game series was in 2005 against Mississippi Valley State at home.
 
ON DECK
After this weekend's series, Little Rock returns to Gary Hogan Field for a midweek game against Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday at 3 p.m.